For ease of reference only the specification will now discuss the invention as it may pertain to guardrails however this should not be seen as limiting as the present invention can be employed in other energy absorbing applications.
Guardrails typically consist of a series of W beam rails longitudinally aligned and supported by a number of posts and are used on the sides of roads to help redirect errant vehicles back on to the road by acting as a side barrier. However, the terminal ends of guardrails pose a significant risk to occupants of oncoming vehicles should they have a head on impact with the terminal end of the guardrail. It will be understood, the risks associated with hitting a terminal end of a guardrail head on, are similar to those associated with hitting other stationary objects, such as trees or power poles.
There is therefore a need for a modified guardrail terminal end and components therefor which, can help a guardrail terminal end absorb the energy of a vehicle impact, to reduce the risk of injury to occupants of vehicles involved in a head on (end on) collision, with the terminal end of a guardrail.
It is desirable to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description which is given by way of example only.
Throughout this specification, the word “comprise”, or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.
All references, including any patents or patent applications cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. The discussion of the references states what their authors assert, and the applicants reserve the right to challenge the accuracy and pertinence of the cited documents. It will be clearly understood that, although a number of prior art publications are referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art, in New Zealand or in any other country.